On adaptation

In a year of change and an emerging ‘new normal,’ the importance of adaptability has never been more important, as Cody Brits explains.

If there is one thing that has become abundantly clear in this pandemic year it’s the importance of adaptability in a time of continuity and change. Adaptation: what is it? Noun: 1 the action or process of adapting, modifying or adjusting to changed conditions; 2 the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.

What does it look like? Well, in the times we are all living in, I’ve seen adaptations in all sorts of ways, in the way my friendships work, in new ways of ‘being at school’ and in things we’ve done differently across our world. In so many way, we’ve all had to draw on our ability to adapt to this constant changing environment.

Cody Brits: ‘Life consistently faces us with challenges, some we plan for, some we have to work on the go’

It’s been a year that certainly had me thinking. We began a new decade, a fresh start and a year that we supposed would be like no other, one that would undoubtedly be unforgettable. Turns out, as we come to the end of the uncertain journey that is 2020, that ‘unforgettable’ is one of the words that certainly come to mind.

One thing that has been vital for me is music. Music to me is my expression, my way of listening to the thoughts I cannot seem to say, my way of unwinding, my release, basically like nothing else matters. For me, music creates connection, with friends and across my classes, communities and our world. Music has been a very large part of getting me through the year and the challenges that came with it. It’s given me continuity in this time of change.

Life consistently faces us with challenges, some we plan for, some we have to work on the go. As hard and as dreadful it was to go through the constant battles that came my way this year, I see the challenge of our year and the changes that we had to deal with as a part of our development, of being better as a community. It also enabled me to grasp a greater sense of respect and gratitude for all that I have and know that is waiting for me upon our return to whatever normal looks like.

Cody Brits is a Year 8 student at Wesley’s Elsternwick Campus.